David Letterman celebrates a milestone

David Letterman celebrates his 65th birthday today. For those who can recall Letterman's early years as a goofy, youngish guy in a sport coat, that milestone may come as something of a shock. He's been a part of late-night TV for 30 years.

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Posted Apr. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Posted Apr. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM

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David Letterman celebrates his 65th birthday today. For those who can recall Letterman's early years as a goofy, youngish guy in a sport coat, that milestone may come as something of a shock. He's been a part of late-night TV for 30 years.

"Late Night With David Letterman" debuted on NBC on Feb. 1, 1982, with Bill Murray as the first guest. Murray returned to mark the anniversary this past Feb. 1 on "Late Show With David Letterman," where Dave has held court on CBS since 1993.

It would be easy to focus on Letterman's age and long run. But they somewhat obscure the fact that, with a couple of exceptions, nobody on late night is a kid. Jay Leno turns 62 in a couple of weeks. Jon Stewart and Craig Ferguson turn 50 this year, and Conan O'Brien will do so next year and Stephen Colbert the year after.

It's interesting to note that Johnny Carson, the legendary template for all talk show hosts, took over "The Tonight Show" when he was 37. Chelsea Handler and Jimmy Fallon are 37. Jimmy Kimmel is 44. Their comparative youth may explain some of their success.

Much has been written about the wars for late-night dominance. But with a median age nearing 50, many late-night hosts are nearly a generation older than their intended audiences of 20-somethings. Could that be why Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" regularly beats many of the late-night funny guys? It's a blunt fact of life. Older viewers don't stay up that late. And younger viewers may not always want to watch the stuff that made their parents laugh.

— A lost engagement ring sets up a proposal re-enactment on the season finale of "Up All Night" (9:30 p.m. on NBC, TV-14). This show has not yet been renewed for a second season.